Watch The Persico F70 Racing Yacht ‘Fly’ On Water

A regatta racer, a daysailer, a hyperboat… the Persico F70 can be described in many ways. A new concept from Pininfarina’s nautical department – behind projects such as Oceanco’s Kairos concept yacht, Rossinavi’s Super Sport 65 and various Princess yachts including the innovative R35 and the X95 models – is a high-performance hydrofoil boat that’s designed to “fly on water”.

Created in collaboration with Italian shipyard Persico Marine and design consultancy Carkeek Design Partners, the super-fast, light-weight, 70-foot vessel is both innovative and stylish. Made from carbon composite, she features full-foiling technology, as seen on the America’s Cup AC75 foiling monohull models; plus a sleek exterior and a contemporary interior that provides comfort whether the owner wishes to race or cruise.

Daniele Mazzon, chief yacht designer of Pininfarina Nautical, reveals that inspiration was drawn from the AC75s to “create a yacht as stylish as it is high-tech.” He says: “As the F70 is a high-performance boat that flies above the surface of the water, an aerodynamics study was essential to ensure exceptional performance. On the Persico F70, we have combined the hydrodynamic expertise of Carkeek with the aerodynamic know-how we have developed over the last 50 years in our own Wind Tunnel. Indeed, the interiors are open space with a series of structural rings, creating a perspective illusion that emphasizes the length and width of the boat and expresses a dual passion for daysailing and racing performance.”

Shawn Carkeek, lead designer of Carkeek Design Partners, adds: “The F70 will be a boat without precedent. The foils, derived from those on the IMOCA60, will be aided by elevators on the rudder blade, just like those on the AC75s. This way the boat can reach full flight mode with only 10 knots of wind, without resting on the downwind side of the hull. What’s more, the foils will be completely retractable to allow the F70 to dock easily, and the project will avail itself of the same CFD and VPP software used on both the IMOCAs and the AC75s.”

Marcello Persico, president of Persico Marine, says, “Integrating full-foiling regatta performance, excellence in design and daysailer features is a fascinating challenge, which we have shared with Carkeek Design Partners and Pininfarina. And, we are very pleased to collaborate once again with Pininfarina after our successful Wallycento in 2017. Creating a great team is the best lead-in to the market for a boat capable of making history, as the Persico F70 project is proposing to do. A craft of this type requires a design of the highest level, great technology and construction expertise, and the best designers: we have built a solid partnership to attain this ambitious goal.”